Wichita eagle., 1887-04-17
HsS$Nixs~
@a31Y eagle
WASHINGTON CITY m 1862.
OVerrun by the I:ifr-I.aE of all Crea-
tion-What a War Correspondent Saw.

i ny tne 1sll-I.aN OF all Crea-
tion-What a War Correspondent Saw.
Washington at the time went there in
July, 1852, was a ccsspool into which drained
all the inlquity and filth OF t. -2ation 1t
was hllcd with runaway negroes, contract
ors, advcnturers, Office seekers, gamblers,
confidence men, courtesars. uniformed
officers shirking their duty, and the riC-raT,
the oiIGcourincs Of al creation. The streets
were dirty, tho hotel but little better than
kennels, the boarding houses unciean and e.
to-tionate, and, although tierc vas pro-
tense that Intoxicating liquors were not sold,
drink could be had anywhere and universal
drunken-eas prevailed
In addition to these characteristics The city
was an immense hospital. Every church
was occupied by the sick and wounded; the
cls!cs, galleries and ante rooms were thronged
with patients. Every vacant lot was occu-
pied with ions, low, temporary structures
devoted to tic victims Of the wc- Nearly
every house OF more than ordinary magni-
tUde had . sentry il front Of il, wlilo the
pale faces AZ the windows indicated The usc
to which it was being put by the authoritica
Al the heights about the city for miles were
covered with wLiteT2shed buildings which
were c~aIn.aed with sicl, and wounded Fed
eral soldiers.
had q little hospital experience which is
at lcas3 curious If not very interesting
encountered one day al old acquaintance,
Dr.. Robert Thomas, whom hal known in
the west, and who informed me that ae Was
IN charge Of 4 Kalarama hospital, and in
yite1 me to visit him. I agreed anI We
wcro econ whirling out into tie suburbs in
IN ambulance and behind O speedy pair of
horses which the government had placed at
tn = ,,c< 81
heights, as tho name indicates, is Q beautiful
location. mono more SO being Gt that ti-ne in
the vicinity OF the capital. On tho grounds
was . magnificent building which had once
belonged to the famous Joel Barlow, bat
which lad been taken by tho government
for . EcJDital. We dove through mcgllif-
ccn5 surroundings and finally found ourselves
seated il n sJmptuously furnished drawing
room which the doctor reserved for tho re-
ccption OF visitors, IIo produced some bot
ties OF TlGc, which, being excellent il quail
ity, tho weather hot, and we very thirsty
after tho drive, were swallowed with salts
faction and without limit.
An hour or 50 later the hospital surgeon
invited re 10 look through tho wards. He
had, hc assured me, the model institution Of
tho kind in tho north. We went through
splendid rooms, clean and palatial enough
for the residences OF princes. In each there
wcro co.'s occupied by tie soldiers, ali Of
whom seemed 60 comfortable that / thought
that being III under such circumstances vas
q luxury which would tempt q Sybarite.
Tho lass room we visited was one occupied
by ''coI;r2bards," concerning whom tie
doctor remarked with a peculiar smile:
''TheSe are cases OF vaTiola niCra."
Tho pay on the word nig-,a first attracted
my attention, and 1 responded with the
stcreotyped All, yes, very gooi" and then
instantly there flashed over ne the meaning
o. the other word, variols.
Good heavens! doctor, DO you mean |
5,nalpox?''
That's the English OF it,
"Ard yoI arc in charge cf a.
''SmsLpox hospital! Yes, that's il. This !
is the largest establishment OF the kind in |
the north. and the best, too if do say it..
/ WAS shocked, alarmed, frightened, hoT |
riie;l and intensely outraged ct the trick |
which had been perPctr2tod on nc. | at
tempted the indignant; l onatbcmatizod tho |
doctor in tho Iaost vigorous English | could |
command, and finally became silent for want |
of breath. 1t length ! determined TO make |
tho most ot tho situation, and, supposing
that l would be certain to have the disease
/ sent fer nay traps and resolved to remain
in the hospital TIL he'd The rnalady, 50 that
might retai7o proper tTestEncnt.
l stayed at halarGIaa for two months
waiting for sn attack Of smallpox. l went
freely through tho wards talked with TIE
2tents sni mada 10 effort 10 avoid tho
ccItasion, "a l folt "ersin Lha5 l woUd 10
att5ao6ei. At the end OF two months | had |
c-.parienced no symptoms CT the disease. and
becoming sS:lstici that / was, foF the noncc, !
smallpox proof, | moved back mo the city. |
{. D. 70 -, $50